ethical fashionhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/taxonomy/term/7523/all
enNew focus for anti-sweatshop drivehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15490
<!-- google_ad_section_start -->
<!-- google_ad_section_end --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>Campaigners for sweatshops-free clothes are about to take their drive into fresh territory at Europe’s biggest textile event.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>Campaigners for sweatshops-free clothes are about to take their drive into fresh territory when Europe’s biggest textile event includes them for the first time in its 20-year history.</p>
<p>The anti-poverty charity War on Want plans creative initiatives to promote fashion ethics with large numbers of people among the thousands of visitors expected at the Knitting and Stitching Show in London.</p>
<p>The show, which runs from 6 - 9 October at Alexandra Palace in north London, coincides with World Decent Work Day (7 October 2011), on which hundreds of activities will take place around the globe in over 50 countries, including Britain.</p>
<p>In the Knitting and Stitching show, games will enable players to have fun while learning the facts behind sweatshops, where workers supported by the charity’s partners in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka toil up to 16 hours a day for well under a living wage.</p>
<p>The games feature in the show’s latest innovation, the Upcycling Academy, a space to spotlight the growing trend that sees people turn old clothing into new garments.</p>
<p>This space will offer the public a chance to pose for photographs on a catwalk wearing clothes they have upcycled at the show and buy their pictures for only £2, with the money going to help War on Want partners fight for living wages.</p>
<p>And War on Want will also run a stall in the academy where visitors can find out more about the charity’s backing for Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans who are paid a pittance as workers for suppliers to Britain’s high street fashion retailers.</p>
<p>Nadia Idle, activism and outreach officer at War on Want, said: “This high profile show will allow us to reach many visitors with the campaign to end the exploitation of sweatshop workers by UK brands. Thousands of young women have already joined our Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops campaign, calling on the British government to stop this abuse. I hope that hundreds of visitors will join our call for fair wages and conditions for the people who make our clothes.”</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Living EconomyNews Briefclothingethical fashionfashionsweatshopsUK Newswar on wantWed, 05 Oct 2011 09:02:37 +0000agency reporter15490 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukNew Year Honours spark renewed criticism of 'medieval farce'http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/13879
<!-- google_ad_section_start -->
<!-- google_ad_section_end --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The New Year Honours list has sparked renewed attacks on the honours system, with particular criticism of a knighthood for business boss Roger Carr.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The publication of the New Year Honours list has sparked renewed attacks on the honours system as well as criticism of particular awards. Critics say that most of the top awards have again gone to rich and powerful people who have already received significant public recognition.</p>
<p>The human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell described the New Year Honours list as “rotten” and the honours system itself as a “medieval farce”. He insisted that, “Most honours are the result of the rich and powerful giving honours to the rich and powerful”. </p>
<p>There has been particular anger over the knighthood awarded to Roger Carr, who chairs Centrica, the parent company of British Gas. </p>
<p>British Gas recently came under fire for introducing a seven per cent rise in gas prices, despite raising their full year profit forecast to more than £2.2bn. Critics say the price hike will harm the most vulnerable in difficult economic times. </p>
<p>Carr also attracted hostility as the former chairman of Cadbury, who agreed a deal to sell the company to the US-based multinational food company Kraft. Fears continue over the loss of thousands of UK jobs in the company. </p>
<p>While Carr said that he was never keen on selling Cadbury to Kraft, he considered that his job was “to get as much value as I could” for shareholders. </p>
<p>Peter Tatchell insisted it was a “disgrace” that Carr had received “a British honour for an anti-British economic decision”. </p>
<p>The Prime Minister, David Cameron, is said to have wanted the New Year Honours list to represent the “Big Society”, illustrating the local and community work done by unrecognised heroes. </p>
<p>In contrast, Tatchell said, “Local heroes get the low order honours, such as MBEs. Establishment toadies receive the highest rewards, knighthoods. Most of the top honours go to business, military, diplomatic and civil service big-wigs – not selfless, unpaid charity workers.” </p>
<p>Several charities are nonetheless keen to welcome the awards that their workers have received. The Amos Trust said they were pleased to see an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for Tom Hewitt, the founder of Umthombo Street Children, whose charitable and campaigning work in South Africa has been widely praised by NGOs. </p>
<p>The left-wing, anti-war fashion designer Katharine Hamnett received an honour for her work on ethical practices in the fashion industry. She has been made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire). </p>
<p>Hamnett said, “I kind of tend to pooh-pooh these kind of things but at the same time it's frightening how nice it is”. She admitted, “It's seductive”. </p>
<p>The singer Annie Lennox, also seen as an anti-establishment figure in the past, has received an OBE (Office of the Order of the British Empire) for her work tackling poverty and AIDS in Africa. She said, “As somewhat of a renegade, it either means I've done something terribly right or they've done something terribly wrong”. </p>
<p>The acceptance of a CBE by the Quaker actor and director Sheila Hancock is likely to spark unease amongst Quakers, who maintain a testimony against titles. Quakers generally refuse even to use terms such as “Mr” and “Miss”, referring to each other by name only. </p>
<p>Hancock's award has already triggered disagreement amongst Quakers on Twitter, with some expressing disappointment while others distinguish honours from titles or emphasise the need to respect individual conscience. </p>
<p>[Ekk/1]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Living EconomyNews BriefAidsamos trustBritish GascadburyCentricaethical fashionhonours systemKraftNew Year HonoursquakersReligious Society of FriendsUK NewsSat, 01 Jan 2011 16:23:59 +0000staff writers13879 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukTake a minute to support Bangladeshi garment workershttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12933
<div class="field title">
<h1 class="title">Take a minute to support Bangladeshi garment workers</h1>
</div>
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12933" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Living EconomyPeace and Nonviolencebangladeshethical fashionfashionLabour Behind the Labeltrades unionsBlogWed, 25 Aug 2010 00:37:51 +0000Symon Hill12933 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukLondon Fashion Week retailers still exploiting workers, says charityhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/11363
<!-- google_ad_section_start -->
<!-- google_ad_section_end --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>As London Fashion Week drew to a close yesterday (24 February), the anti-poverty charity War on Want said that overseas garment workers are still being exploited to produce clothes for British high street stores.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>As London Fashion Week drew to a close yesterday (24 February), campaigners said that overseas garment workers are exploited to produce clothes for British high street stores.</p>
<p>The anti-poverty charity, War on Want, has emphasised the message throughout the Week, which ran from 19 – 24 February.</p>
<p>A report published jointly by War on Want and Labour Behind the Label criticised French Connection, River Island and Miss Selfridge for what they describe as “their failure to undertake any real work towards a decent wage”.</p>
<p>War on Want also pointed to a <em>Sunday Times</em> report last month .It revealed that thousands of women in Sri Lanka, toiling six days a week making clothes for Marks &amp; Spencer and Next, take home basic pay of less than £50 a month, well below a living wage.</p>
<p>War on Want have quoted Asuntha, 22. They say that she produces Marks &amp; Spencer clothes and that her £45 salary covered only bare essentials, such as rent, groceries and her factory canteen bill.</p>
<p>The charity adds that Asuntha's wage slip for December showed that she worked 52 hours of overtime, earning £77.50. Two other slips indicated overtime exceeding a legal limit of 60 hours a month.</p>
<p>Her one-room shack, which costs £11 a month to rent, is only just big enough for a bed, a table and a small stove. Asuntha's clothes are suspended from the ceiling to save space. A shower in the courtyard is shared with three other lodgers.</p>
<p>Inoka, 25, a machine operator, is another worker whose situation has been brought to light by War on Want. They say that the factory she works at supplies Next and that she earns a basic salary of £53, shares a room 6ft by 9ft and a single bed with her aunt to save money. </p>
<p>"It's not enough to live on," said Inoka. </p>
<p>Her November wage slip revealed that she worked 65 hours of overtime, five more than the legal limit.</p>
<p>War on Want also highlighted their research on Tesco, sponsors of London Fashion Week. They say that workers making Tesco clothes in four Bangladeshi factories earned well below a living wage - as little as 7p an hour for up to 80-hour weeks.</p>
<p>"While these retailers celebrate their London Fashion Week show, they are shamed by people making their clothes who struggle to survive on poverty pay,” said Simon McRae, Senior Campaigns Officer at War on Want.</p>
<p>He added, “High street retailers are failing to ensure a living wage for their overseas garment workers. It is high time Gordon Brown stopped this abuse."</p>
<p>Over 16,000 people so far have backed War on Want’s campaign, <em>Love Fashion, Hate Sweatshops</em>, which the charity describes as “the biggest-ever call on the UK government to stop fashion retailers exploiting overseas workers”. </p>
<p>[Ekk/1]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Living EconomyNews Briefethical fashionLabour Behind the Labellondon fashion weeksri lankaUK Newswar on wantThu, 25 Feb 2010 18:06:59 +0000staff writers11363 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukEthical Fashion Calendar aims to promote alternatives to consumershttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/11240
<!-- google_ad_section_start -->
<!-- google_ad_section_end --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>This week sees the launch of a global Ethical Fashion Calendar to bring together the various events, campaigns and products which seek to take an ethical approach to fashion. It promotes shows, exhibtions and talks around the world.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>This week sees the launch of a major new Ethical Fashion Calendar to promote and bring together the various events, campaigns and products which seek to take an ethical approach to fashion.</p>
<p>The Calendar includes exhibitions and fashion shows around the world, as well as occasions such as Fairtrade Fortnight, campaigning talks and the ethical presence at more mainstream events such as London Fashion Week. </p>
<p>It has been launched by the Ethical Fashion Forum, a not-for-profit network of ethical fashion businesses and supporters which “aims to develop a collaborative movement which will transform social and environmental standards in the fashion industry within a decade”. </p>
<p>They work on issues including workers’ rights, trade tariffs, chemicals, sustainability and media impact. </p>
<p>Amongst their achievements so far, the Forum cite their contribution to successful attempts to raise wages in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. They also seek to increase the profile of ethical fashion in the media and say that they have reached over 1000 fashion industry professionals through “seminars and masterclasses focused on how fashion can change lives”.</p>
<p>The businesses and organisations promoting their events on the Calendar clearly hope that it will help ethical consumers to discover products and campaigns that they would otherwise have missed. The Calendar for February 2010 includes events as far apart as Copenhagen, New York and Bristol, as well as many in London.</p>
<p>Some of the more unusual events combine business and campaigning. A “Burlesque Pantease” on 27 February will promote “Pants to Poverty” and raise money to support children exploited in cotton seed production.</p>
<p>The market for ethical fashion in the UK is currently said to stand at around £175million. </p>
<p><em>The Ethical Fashion Calendar can be found at <a href="http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/calendar" title="http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/calendar">http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/calendar</a>. </em></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
EqualityLiving EconomyNews Briefethical consumersethical fashionfair tradefashionsmall businessessustainabilityUK Newsworkers' rightsThu, 11 Feb 2010 12:53:38 +0000staff writers11240 at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk